Dear   Friend ,

As I take on the flag of Kerala Cultural Society of Metropolitan Washington (KCSMW) for the year 2012, I am humbled, honored and ever grateful to this association and the Kerala community for giving me this opportunity. I understand the huge responsibility entrusted upon me, but I take great pride in serving and leading an organization that represents the Malayalee community in the tri-state of Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC. I promise to do my best to ensure that the 2012 committee will work to make this year a fun filled year for the Malayalee community. I will ensure that your trust in us is well placed.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Anil Nair and his team on completing a wonderful year 2011 that showcased varied entertainment programs and charity work.

I would like to simplify what I see and how we are going to serve you in this coming year. We have come into United States of America, most of us as immigrants, we live the American way of life, we speak their language, we work here, we celebrate their festival, eat macaroni and cheese (smile) and go to Olive gardens and Burger King and feel we are part of the society. We have blended into what we call the fabric of the United States. But you know what, there is this one corner in our heart, I know I can relate to most of you, where we miss those green paddy fields, mountains, the festivals, the hustle and bustle on the streets, the times we spend as kids with our family and friends celebrating Easter, Ramadan, Vishu, Onam or Christmas. You know what, I miss those days and I am sure most of you too.

My goal and my objective is to be able to re-live and recreate these precious moments for each one of you in this coming year. So let us plan for that. Let’s plan to celebrate where we come from let us celebrate the tradition we cherished all our life, let us celebrate and re-live those magical moments that made us what we are today. You will see as we put together the plan for 2012, we will re-live our traditions, hold it on, celebrate these occasions and will make sure that we pass it on to the next generation, so that they can do exactly what we are trying to do today.

We have formed a great team of individuals who are very enthusiastic about serving this community. As we work together as a team towards our common goal of preserving and enriching our rich cultural heritage, I request you, on behalf of the KCSMW 2012 committee, to help us in this venture by providing your valuable support and suggestions. Looking forward to meeting you at our events. Please visit www.kcsmw.org for updates on upcoming events.

Thanks again for the opportunity to be your President for the coming year. I will do my best along with my team to meet your expectations.

Sincerely,

Priti Raman,

President, KCSMW

Please see the date and time for Malayalam and Cultural Awareness Program (KCS Kalari) for the Month of February 2012.

Germantown, MD

Classes will be held at Germantown Community Center, 18905 Kingsview Rd. Germantown, MD. 20874, on Saturday Feb 5th, Feb 26th from 2.00 PM to 4.00 PM. Please contact Beena Tomy at beenatomy@gmail.com

Columbia, MD

Classes will be held at Columbia East Library, Columbia, MD 21044, on Saturday Feb 11th 1 – 3 PM / Feb 25th 2-4 PM. Please contact Anil Nair at snairanil@gmail.com

Centreville, VA

Classes will be held at Centreville Public Library, 14200 St. Germain Drive, Centreville, VA 20121, on Sunday, Feb 5th and Feb 26th, Mar 11th, Mar 25th from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Please contact  Manju Teji at kcskalariofva@gmail.com

Prior registration is required for Germantown and Centerville location since there are only few seats available. To register for this class or get further details, please send an email education@kcsmw.org or contact the following team members: Anil Nair – (443) 822 4828; snairanil@gmail.com Beena Tomy - (301) 801 6698; beenatomy@gmail.com Manju Teji - (240) 997 9444; kcskalariofva@gmail.com

The American Thriller Express - Jagadeesh / Venugopal Show on May 5th

When : May 6th 2012 evening

Where : High Point High Scholl Auditorium, Beltsville, MD

Presented by : St. Jude Syro Malabar Catholic Mission of Northern VA, Chantilly

Stars : Jagadeesh, Venugopal, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Asiant Vodafone comedy stars Team VIP, Mithra Kurian, Anoop Shankar .

Seating Chart : Click Here

Contact : Fr. Joseph Elamparayil 703-999-4179 , Paul Pottanatt 703-790-1933 , Jilson Joseph 703-599-6748 , Regi Alexander 703-636-1995.

Syro-Malabar community is very pleased to announce the launch of the St. Jude Capital Fund Raising program- ‘Asianet Stage Show- American thriller Express’. As a part of the initiation of this fundraising event, the community has sold the 1st Platinum Sponsor ticket at the Christmas and New Year Celebration. The Official Platinum ticket handling ceremony was conducted by handing over the ticket to Teji Manelel, owner of Ikon Reality, by our Mission Director Rev Fr. Joseph Elamparayil on January, 8 2012.

St. Jude Syro Malabar Catholic mission is formed in April 2010 and it is now a vibrant and growing community that serves over hundred families in northern Virginia since then. The community gathers for worship and fellowship at a rented location for a few hours a week. The need of the community is second to the needs of the parishioners of the church we rent. With our tremendous growth, the community now needs to plan a continuance of services. Weekly offerings and other donations hardly meet the community’s operational expenses and dependence on this will never fulfill our community goals. Hence longer term plans to build a church need to be initiated now, if the community has a chance of fulfilling its dream of owning a church in the next five to ten years. Syro Malabar community considers this fundraising as the first step towards building our future church.

The American thriller Express is a cultural event that showcases Indian music, dances and comedy. The event will be hosted on May 6th (evening) 2012 at Highpoint High School, Maryland and will play to audience of over 1000in the region. The event showcases famous movie stars from Kerala, India and includes over 3 hours of nonstop programming.

Syro Malabar Community extent our heartfelt invitation to all Malayalees to attend the ‘American Express Thriller show’, on the 26th of May, 2012. By supporting the fundraising Initiative, you’re helping to fulfill the long cherished dream of the Nova Syro Malabar Community. The Nova mission solicits generous support from all well-wishers and friends.

For more information Mission Director: Fr. Joseph Elamparayil (703 999 4179, jelampara@yahoo.com) Trustees: Paul Pottanat (703 790 1933), Jilson Joseph (703 599 6749), Regi Alexander (202 495 0636 or visit our website www.stjudenva.com.

Hari Kappiyoor concert – at SV Lotus Temple, Chantilly, VA

Hari Kappiyoor gave a Carnatic music concert on Jan 7th at the SV Lotus temple in Fairfax, VA. He was accompanied by Sanjay Sharma on the violin, VedaPraveen Machiraju on the mridangam and Sowmiyanarayanan on the ghatam.

Hari has given several other concerts in the past six months including Lotus Temple VA in April 2011 and three others in Dakshinamookambika, Irinjalakuda, and Chandramana Gurukulam in Perumbavoor in August 2011. He has also given a Kathakalipadam concert at Guruvayoor Temple in August 2011.

Hari’s first teacher is Smt. Maragatham Ramaswamy. Since Nov. 2009 his main teacher is Sri. Chandramana Narayanan Namboodiri (online). Has also been learning from Smt. Manju Murali (direct). Hari has been learning Kathakali padam from Sri. Kalamandalam Narayanan Embranthiri (Principal, Kalanilayam) for the past 4 years (online). Hari gets guidance, lessons, and support for light music from Sushma Praveen . Hari is also learning Veena from Smt. Preetha Narayanswamy and Edakka from Nandakumar of Irinjalakuda.

Hari has been lucky to be trained by Sri G. Venugopal for his light music since June 2011.

Videos 1 2

St Jude Syro Malabar Church - X’mas and New Year celebrated on JAN 7th 2012

Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission of Northern Virginia community celebrated the Christmas and New Year program in an exquisite way on January, 8 2012. The event was conducted at J. Michael Lunsford Middle school, Chantilly. The celebration began with the prayer song followed with the message from special guest Fr.Lijoy Thannickal.

The celebration was spiced up with various cultural entertainment programs by our Kids, Youth and Adults showcasing their tremendous talents. Programs that inspired by the diverse ways of Christmas celebration were performed through various dances, songs, musical dances, Skits, instrumental shows to name a few. Syro Malabar community takes this opportunity to recognize the participants, coordinators, choreographers, Sunday school teachers, parents and the volunteers for their dedicated efforts that contributed to the success of our program.

St. Jude Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission of Northern Virginia community was established in April 2010 and has ever since grown to serve over 70 families. The community gathers weekly for worship. Other outreaches of the community include faith formation for the younger generation in the form of catechism classes, youth groups and retreats for spiritual reflection and encouragement. The community celebrated the Christmas and New Year program for the second time since the inception of the community.

Fall 2012 White House Internship Program

The White House Internship Program provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. This hands-on program is designed to mentor and cultivate today’s young leaders, strengthen their understanding of the Executive Office and prepare them for future public service opportunities. The White House Internship Program’s mission is to make the “People’s House” accessible to future leaders from around the nation.

Am I eligible to apply for a White House Internship?

All White House Internship Program participants must be:

• United States citizens
• At least 18 years of age on or before the first day of the internship
• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college or university or graduated in the past two years from an undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college or university OR
• A veteran of the United States Armed Forces who possesses a high school diploma or its equivalent and has served on active duty at any time over the past two years

Am I available for the Fall 2012 Internship Program?

All White House Internship Program participants must be:

• The Fall 2012 internship term runs from September 4, 2012-December 14, 2012
• Please visit our FAQ page for questions regarding quarter systems
• The White House Internship Program is an unpaid program
• Interns will be expected to work from approximately 9 AM-6 PM, Monday-Friday
• Hours may vary by office
• Please visit our FAQ page for questions regarding the definition of “full-time”

The application period for the Fall 2012 White House Internship Program is now open. Applicants have until March 11, 2012 to apply for a Fall 2012 White House Internship. For more details click here

All White House Internship Program participants must be:

Fall 2012 US Dept. of State Internship Program

Click here to read more about the Student Internship Program, and to start the Gateway to State online application process. Please note that the deadline to submit completed applications is March 02, 2012.

To be eligible for this program, you must be:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be a full- or part-time continuing college or university junior, or graduate student (including graduating seniors intending to go on to graduate school).
• Have good academic standing
• Successfully complete a background investigation
• Be able to receive either a Secret or Top Secret clearance.

Please read the entire vacancy announcement carefully for all qualifications and requirements.

You can also visit our Student Programs forum to post questions or read discussions about this program.

We appreciate your interest in a career with the U.S. Department of State.

Rich Tribute to Sukumar Azhikode

Malayalam writer and orator Sukumar Azhikode passed away on 24th december morning. He was 85.

A quintessential critic in speech and writing, Azhikode's had been a powerful voice in the intellectual discourse in Kerala.An outstanding academic and teacher, Azhikode had served as chairman of the National Book Trust (NBT) and as member of the executive councils of Kerala and Kendra Sahitya academy. A recipient of high literary honours including the Kendra Sahitya Academy award, Azhikode hit national headlines a few years back by declining to accept Padma Shri holding such honours went against the spirit of Indian Constitution which saw all citizens as equal. His major contributions in literature are : Aasante Seetakavyam, Ramananum Malayalakavitayum (Ramanan and Malayalam Poetry) Mahatmavinte Margam (Way of the Mahatma), Purogamanasahityavum Mattum (Modern Literature and Others), Malayala Sahityavimarsanam (Criticism of Malayalam Literature), Vayanayute Swargattil (In the Paradise of Reading), Tatvamasi, Malayala Sahitya Patanangal (Studies on Malayalam Literature), Tatvavum Manushyanum (Philosophy and Humans), Khandanavum Mandanavum (Destructive Criticism and Constructive Criticism), Entinu Bharatadare, Azhikodinte Prabhashanangal (Speeches of Azhikode), Azhikodinte Falitangal (Jokes of Azhikode), Guruvinte Dukham (Sorrow of the Teacher), Aakasam Nashtapetunna India (India Losing Horizon), Pathakal Kazhchakal (Routes and Sights), Mahakavi Ulloor (The Great Poet Ulloor) .

Tribute to Kerala Governor MOH Farook

Veteran Congress leader and Kerala Governor, MOH Farook passed away at Apollo hospital in Chennai. Farook was the former Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, former Pudicherry Chief minister and MP. Farook was admitted to Apollo hospital a month ago and was diagnosed to have cancer. Doctors at Apollo said he suffered from multiple organ failures.

In the years 1953,54, as a student MOH Farook was active in the struggle for liberation of Pondicherry when the place was under French colony. MOH Farook was elected to Lok Sabha from Puducherry thrice in the years 1991, 1996 and 1999. He was also the Union member of state for civil aviation and tourism. He also served as a member of central haj committee from 1975 to 2000. In September 2004, MOH Farook was appointed as the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Soon after the he became the Jharkhan governor. Then came MOH Farook as Kerala Governor on august 25, 2011